Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
102
arrivals spending $42 billion in 2015 to 43.2 million arrivals spending nearly $67 billion in
2020.
4. MFT Products and Services
Thailand has many Muslim-friendly services in place. The country has 3,600 mosques and
many of the malls have prayer spaces for Muslims. There are many Halal restaurants that are
listed in their Muslim-friendly app and guidebook for Muslim tourists.
 Muslim-friendly hotels
Muslim-friendly hotels in Thailand offer Halal food options, prayer rooms and Qibla direction,
among other services. A new player, Al Meroz Hotel in Bangkok claims to be the first Halal
certified hotel. The hotel is certified as a Muslim-friendly hospitality provider by the UAE’s
Gulf Halal Center. It provides Halal food, prayer rooms, a women-only floor and a swimming
pool that offers different timings for men and women. The hotel, which soft opened early
2016, officially launched in July 2016. Additional Muslim-friendly hotels include the Grand
Sukhumvit Hotel in Bangkok. The hotel provides Halal certified food, as well as prayer rugs,
the qibla direction and prayer timetable in the rooms of Muslim guests. Another example is
the Nouvo City Hotel which includes a Halal restaurant inside the hotel and does not serve
alcohol. The rooms include water-friendly washrooms and provide the qibla direction.
 Muslim-friendly spas
Thailand has many gender-segregated Halal spas, with separate rooms for men and women.
These spas offer separate rooms for men and women, with male masseurs attending to the
former and female masseuses attending to the latter. They also use organic products.
 Muslim-friendly Beach resorts
Thailand has several beach resorts that are Muslim-friendly. Among those resorts are Six
Senses Resorts, Banyan Tree Resorts, Ao Nang Princeville Resort, Ao Nang Orchid, and
Diamond Cave Resort and Spa, among others.
 Muslim-friendly medical facilities
Thailand is popular with GCC visitors for its medical services. The Bangkok Hospital launched
an Arabic Medical Services wing in 2006. They provide Arabic speaking staff in addition to
Halal food and prayer facilities.
 Muslim-friendly airports
Several airports in Thailand provide prayer rooms and Halal restaurants. These include
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Phuket International
Airport, and others.
5. Promotion
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is part of the Ministry of Tourism and is the
government-level body responsible for promoting Thailand as a Muslim-friendly destination.